The First Step Towards My Present…

The Picture that I used while applying for teaching position in NIT Hamirpur. Dated 24-05-1986

12 April, 2007

Yes, it was an omen, a message from the unknown that made me take up this project, an arduous, long and tiring project to write about my memoirs about the NIT Hamirpur that was earlier known as REC Hamirpur.

I had literally discarded the idea and relegated all of the impressions, surging up, to the backstage when something strange happened. While I stood in front of the main building 2-3 days back, a person from the ministerial staff called me up, “Ma’am, I got a very old picture of yours!” I was surprised to hear him say. He was very excited to show me the picture and when I saw it; I was more surprised than he was! This was the passport size, black and white, picture that I had pasted on my application form while applying for the job in REC Hamirpur. Strange, very strange it was as it came to me at a time when I had thought of writing my experiences and then discarding the idea! The finding of the picture seemed like an omen to me as if whole of the universe was really conspiring to make me go ahead with my project!

It had happened so that the officials were busy weeding off some old records and my picture must have fallen down from an old fie, almost 21 year old file, and this person seeing it, had picked it up!

The picture carries my signatures and the date which is 24May, 1986. I felt nostalgic watching the picture. I remember walking to the Ajanta studio at Hamirpur where this picture was taken. It was the time when the advertisement had appeared in the newspapers about this post and I had come to know of it by chance! My kids were playing when I stole myself for a few minutes to go to the market for this picture. How strange it seems today but I remember vividly the colour of the suit that I was wearing! And then in a childish hand I had written an application attaching this picture on it and sent it by post to the REC office at Hamirpur. At that time I had no idea, absolutely no idea, about what RECs were and why was I applying for a job of teaching English to Engineering students! But it just happened as if providence was doing all for me to be here in this Institute.

And that day coming across the same very picture, at a point of time while I was thinking about my memoirs about the college, can not be another chance without the designs of the providence.

The worn out frame has strengthened my resolve to write all that I remember. It sure is the good omen to start!